When the lord des Cordes[113] and Cardon had shown their resistance to the king of England's troops before Boulogne they found means to conclude a peace which was very advantageous to the kingdom of France: for the English were to recross the sea without interfering more in the quarrel with the archduke. Master Gaguin tells us, in his chronicle, that this peace was very agreeable to the king of England; for he loved the French in his heart, but had been constrained by his subjects to send this armament to Boulogne,--and by his advice and remonstrances he had prevented its advancing farther into the kingdom; but that he had been obliged to dissemble, to avoid being suspected by the English of having too strong an inclination to king Charles, whose former kindnesses he could never forget, and this treaty of peace was not long in being ratified by the two kings. Within two or three days after this peace had been concluded, the town of Arras was won by a party from Maximilian's army during the night, owing to the treason or neglect of Carquelevant. He had entrusted the keys of the gates to some of his people,--so that the enemy entered the place without meeting any resistance whatever, while he was asleep in bed. They first plundered all the principal persons, and then the churches; and according to Gaguin, these Germans committed such destruction that it seemed as if they were come not to take possession of the town but utterly to destroy it. After some months, Maximilian demolished a large tower in the market-place, and several other fortifications, which Louis XI. had erected to defend the city against the town of Arras. He also caused the walls of the city to be destroyed, and fortified the town against it, which was not displeasing to several of the inhabitants, as they hated even the french name, although, from the remotest antiquity, they had been always dependant on the kings of France, as their sovereign lords. Shortly after, Maximilian found means to obtain a truce, that he might again employ his army on similar expeditions,--for the truce on his side was only a pretence. It was not long before a party from the garrison of Arras appeared under the walls of Amiens at midnight, thinking to take it by surprise; but the French garrison and the townsmen were too well on their guard, and made such good use of their bows and artillery that they repulsed the enemy with vigour, so that they were glad to retreat from the suburbs of St Pierre, where they had formed a lodgement, and return in all haste to Arras, whence they had come. Had the lord de Rubempré been allowed to follow his inclinations, he would have sallied out after them, for he was very eager to defeat them; but sir Anthony Clabaut, then mayor of the town, and the council would not permit him, saying, that in their opinion it was fully sufficient to defend the town well when attacked.